Falling Meteors
by SacrificedCynic
Summary: It's a dangerous time to be human. Blood is more valuable than gold, and everyone wants a sip. All Bella knows is that she has to find Edward. In this new, unfamiliar world, that might be more difficult than she thinks.
1. Prologue: Rage, Rage, Rage

_**Falling Meteors  
**_ _ **Prologue: Rage, Rage, Rage**_

* * *

 _Summary:_

Sometimes, it's hard to survive. When you're dragged twenty-five years forward into a war-torn future with no memory of how you got there, it's almost impossible. It's a dangerous time to be human. Blood is more valuable than gold, and everyone wants a sip. All Bella knows is that she has to find Edward. But in this new, unfamiliar world, that might be more difficult than she thinks.

* * *

 _Beginning Notes:_

The bug for this story sort of just hit me today and I figured I'd write a chapter to see if anyone was interested. Cheers. I'm really interested in a story with a much deeper sort of mythology—and creating that excited me.

There is some notable dialogue taken from chapter 18 (and, more tangentially, chapter 19) of _Breaking Dawn_. Cannon up to that point, and then it drastically diverges—obviously.

* * *

 _ **—Bella Swan—  
**_

Blissful unconsciousness ripped itself violently away from me. My eyes opened. White light blinded me. I tasted blood. My body writhed. All I knew was _pain._ Painwas beyond imagining—pain _beyond_ relief. Strong, cold, arms wound around my shoulders, holding me down.

Where was I? What was happening?

I wanted to move—to yell—to scream—to do _anything_. I thrashed uselessly. My body wouldn't respond. A thin, sharp, crack. Another wave of pain washed over me. My eyes rolled back. All I knew was _pain_. Pain and desperation. Desperation and pain.

Where was Edward? I _needed_ him.

"What's _happening_ , Edward?"

There! That was his name! Was he here? Had he left again? I tried to open my eyes—to move—to speak. I needed to hear him.

"He's suffocating!"

That was his voice! Edward's! He was here! He didn't leave! Why wouldn't he help me? Why wasn't he with me? Another crack. Another wave of pain. Another shudder. Another convulsion. Another piece of sanity.

"The placenta must have detached!"

Placenta? What—

I felt something _move_ inside of me. _Clawing. Scratching_. Trying to get out.

My baby was dying. _He_ was dying. _I_ was dying. My lips moved and words tumbled out. "Get him OUT! He can't BREATHE! Do it NOW!" Edward needed to hear—to understand. I didn't care about my own life. Not anymore. All that was left was the pain. He _needed_ save our child.

Another crack. I writhed. My baby fought.

"The morphine—" Edward sounded like he never had before.

No, forget the morphine. _Get him out!_ I opened my mouth to to tell him—to explain—to scream. "NO! NOW!—" I choked. Blood rushed down my throat. I coughed violently. Another wave of pain. Another piece of sanity. Cold, steady hands gripping my shoulders and propped me upright.

I spat out blood.

"Let the morphine spread!" Edward's voice came again from behind me. Angry. Commanding. Afraid. He was holding me up! Did he think morphine could help? This was _beyond_ help.

"There's no time"—that was Rosalie! I know that voice—"He's dying!"

I didn't have time to prepare. Time to ready myself. Pain. Blinding—white—hot—coalesced from my stomach and spread outward to the rest of my body. I opened my mouth to scream but chocked on my blood. _Something_ splattered against my body. Could it be my blood?

All I knew was pain. Pain and desperation. I could feel them—their arms inside me—pulling him out. They were saving him! Relief washed over me, and it was cool and soothing. I could feel Edward's body behind mine. It was familiar. Soothing.

I heard motion—fighting—and someone left the room. Edward's presence vanished from behind me. I could still my baby inside me, trying to get out, and suddenly, relief was replaced with blinding panic. Where was Rosalie? I knew she would've helped me. The world began to dim around me. I could hear Edward's voice going faster and faster as my baby fought harder and harder and on and on it went. Over and over again. I felt hands on my body. Trying to save me. To save my child.

A final crack split the air—and the world spun around me into numb nothingness. No pain. No desperation. Nothing. For the briefest second amidst the chaos around me, I was at peace. I closed my eyes for the last time—

And then suddenly, I wasn't numb anymore. I started to feel pain again. But it wasn't hot, it was cold. My body was freezing, and I was gaining more and more consciousness as I got colder and colder. This wasn't fire, but _ice_ and I felt a new and unfamiliar kind of pain as this new sensation seeped into me. It got under my skin—under my bones—it became who I _was_. And it was _endless_.

The world vanished around me and for a time, I became unaware of anything other than this icy coldness that had seeped into my being. I wondered where I was—I hoped that Edward had managed to save our child. If he had… if he had… then maybe my death meant something. And that I didn't die for nothing.

* * *

Suddenly, I began to hear whispers. They were soft at first, but they got louder and louder, greater and greater. I couldn't see them—couldn't feel them—but the cacophonous chorus of their combined voices washed over me again and again. It built and built, crescendoing into a deafening climax which wouldn't end. There were too many voices to make sense of anything. It was just a wall of sound and chaos which assaulted me again and again. And it wouldn't stop.

For a time, sanity left me, again.

I was no longer myself—no longer Bella. I lay, helpless, as a torrential barrage of ice and voice assaulted my senses. I didn't know how long I had been there or how long it would go on. All I knew was pain. Pain and sound. How I longed for the comforting embrace of unconsciousness. This place—wherever I was—was timeless—ageless.

* * *

An indeterminate amount of time later I began to make out voices amongst the whispers. They weren't clear, but muffled—and quiet. It felt like I was hearing them from a million miles away. The familiar cadence of language barely distinguishable. But the voices were familiar—yes!—they were. I recognized Edward's voice.

" _Still no change?"_

" _None."_

" _There's no scent of the morphine left."_

" _I know."_

And that other voice was Carlisle's! A ghostly shadow of _that_ pain washed over me and shivered. So had the morphine worked after all? Was that why I felt nothing but cold? Was I still alive?

" _Maybe… Carlisle, maybe I was too late."_

Too late? He saved him, right? My baby was safe? I began to feel panic—real panic—for the first time since I entered that quiet, empty place.

" _Listen to her heart, Edward…"_

Oh, so they were talking about me?

" _And her—her spine?"_

" _Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."_

I felt bewildered. Had Edward bit me? Would that mean that I was changing into a vampire? But I thought that was supposed to be a hot-pain. And I was nothing but cold and empty. Had it worked?

" _She must be in agony."_

Edward's voice was a broken whimper. I felt tears well in my eyes, but they didn't fall. They couldn't. It was too empty for that. I had never wanted him to feel that way. I wished there was something I could do to help him.

" _Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm so sorry."_

I wanted to curl up. To not feel anything. To give up.

* * *

New voices now crawled inside of me, dimming the quiet chorus of a thousand whispers.

" _Edward, there was nothing you could have done."_

" _NO! I could have—I should have—I never should have—"_

" _You couldn't have known. This was unprecedented."_

" _This is all my fault…"_

This was a voice I had never heard Edward use before. It was bleak and full of indescribable sadness. It sounded broken and defeated. I wanted to call to him—to reach out—to tell him it was okay—but the cold had me immobilized in place.

" _Edward, you haven't fed in weeks, you have to eat something."_

That was Alice's voice. She sounded on-edge. Worried.

" _Later."_

" _Edward, you can't starve—"_

" _DON'T tell me what I can't and can't do Alice."_

" _But Edward—"_

" _Alice… please… just… leave it."_

What had happened? Why wasn't I comforting Edward? Did I—had I—died? Had I not made it through the transition? Was this what the afterlife was like? Cold and lonely? Was this what I was doomed to?

" _How is he, Alice?"_

" _He's barely holding it together. I think the only reason he's still here is because of Renesmee."_

Renesmee?

" _At least he's still here."_

" _But what sort of life is that, Jasper? She can't grow up with a broken father—"_

Edward was Renesmee's father? Did that mean I was a mother? I had a girl…? It hit me in that moment, as it never had before, that I would never know her. I would never be able to hold her—to see her grow up. To share a life with Edward and our child. The coldness felt colder and voices felt louder. I wanted to crawl my way out of this endless blackness towards something— _anything!_ —that I could hold onto. I wanted to help Edward. I wanted to be with Renesmee. I was confused and scared.

And sad. Immeasurably sad.

All was quiet then. No voices, not whispers. Nothing.

Just coldness.

* * *

An immeasurable amount of time later I noticed that heat had started to come into my body again. I moved the tips of my fingers. They weren't numb as they had been. Slowly, feeling began to return to my body. I could feel my fingers—hands—wrists—arms—shoulders—torso…

The darkness was lessoning too. Pitch blackness turned to the darkest of blues, and I became aware that I was moving forward. Had I always been traveling so? Was I unaware of it the whole time. Slowly lights started to blink around me, visible for only the briefest instance before they rushed past me. I was moving fast, I realized. I could feel the wind whipping my hair and the icy cold sting of air against my face. More and more lights blinked into existence around me. They were dazzling, big and small, white and yellow, blue and red. Separate, and in gigantic, indescribable clusters.

They were stars, I realized.

They started to grow brighter, too. Tiny pinpoints of lights slowly expanding and expanding—growing brighter and brighter—hotter and hotter. I felt heat and it was like I discovered it for the first time. I _basked_ in the feeling of it. The warmth—the comfort. The started to become uncomfortable, then. It got hotter and hotter, and I started to feel my skin burn against its heat.

I felt pain, then, but it was a different pain then I had felt before. A better pain. It wasn't _numb,_ but _real._ I closed my eyes and rolled with it. Tried to dive under and around it so that I didn't feel it. But all the while, it increased and increased until I could no long cope with it's intensity. The world around me was growing brighter and brighter—whiter and whiter. The stars were so big now that they were blending together, becoming one, never-ending, blinding, white-hot blistering inferno of heat and pain. It felt as if my very cells were being fried.

The heat burned.

I closed my eyes and wished for it to be over as I spiraled faster and faster. My heart started to pick up speed and it echoed in my ears, thunderously crashing as it furiously beat faster and faster. I felt sick. I felt pain. I felt scared.

The hear burned. And my heart beat.

And then, as quickly as they had left and as inexplicably as they had come, the voice returned. They weren't whispering this time, though. They were yelling and the sound scraped against my ears. I wanted to escape—to yell—to scream—to _die_ already so I could get away from the ice and the fire, the cold and heat, and the silence and voices. It was too much.

The heat burned. My heart beat. And the voiced yelled.

My body felt like it was being compressed—squeezed—flattened. I gasped for air, but none came to my rescue. I struggled in vein for to grasp onto something. I didn't know what was happening. I knew I was falling. Falling father than space can even described. I felt like I had traveled an immeasurable distance. My body ached for the sweet relief of death.

The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.

That was all I knew.

The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.

Who was I?

The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.

 _Help!_ I wanted to scream. _Someone help me!_ But no one could hear me and no one could help me. I was on my own.

The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to—

My body hit the ground and the smell of burnt earth filled my nostrils. I lay froze in place, unable to comprehend the lack of pain. What had happened? I could feel my heart beating… feel myself breathing… feel the dirt underneath my hands…

I sat up.

The world around me looked dark, and barren. I was sitting in a forrest—or what had _been_ one a long time ago. Grey, decaying, trunks of trees stood all around me like gravestones. The ground underneath me was black and dead. A fire had ravaged this forrest. Nothing grew here anymore.

 _I can relate_ , I thought dryly. Shakily, I rose to my feet, marveling at the fact my body still worked. I took a shaky step forward and was amazed at how steady it was. I started to walk.

As twilight wore on and the night deepened, ominous shadows started to emerge from deep within the forrest. They slanted angrily across the trees, casting jagged lines of darkness on the path in front of me. A gentle breeze brushed by me and I shivered. Where was I? I didn't remember a forrest of this sort being anywhere in Forks or the surrounding area. Had someone taken me somewhere else?

A gentle breeze brushed by me and I drew my sweater tighter around my shoulders. I gave myself a once-over and shivered. For whatever reason, I was inexplicably wearing the same clothes that I… _left_ in. They were the same clothes I had been wearing when everything had… gone wrong. Blood drench maternity clothes and a thin, frail, jacket. I felt a pang of loneliness and wrapped my arms around myself, covering the long gash made in my dress when Rosalie—

I stopped in front of a particularly large tree in my path. Three jagged claw marks ran down it's surface, cleaving the bark nearly in two. I traced the indents with my fingers. They were deep. Could that have been made by a wolf? Jacob flashed before my mind. Jacob—strong and cold. I winced, remembering my wedding. He had been so angry…

With everything that had happened I never really had a chance to apologize to him. I hoped I would get the chance to. I continued onwards, trying to get as far as I could before the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.

Slowly, as I walked, dull panic began to set in. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea how I got here. And I had no idea how to leave. Where were the Cullens? Were was Jacob? What had happened? Was there any food out here? And water? What day was it? What was the time, for fucks sake? Where was Renesmee? How was I—

I stopped and leaned against a moss-covered tree besides me, trying to fight the panic which was threatening to overwhelm me. I slid down and curled into a ball. It was so dark now that I could barely see five feet in front of me. The forrest was quiet around me. Deadly silent.

I swallowed heavily and took a deep breath, trying not to gag at the smell of my own dried blood. I took another shaky breath and started to cry. I felt all the confusion, all the pain, all the endlessness of what had happened to me. I didn't know if I had been gone twenty four hours, or twenty four years. Something buzzed in my pocket then and I jumped, pulling out my phone. I forgot I had it with me.

The display told me it was 9:30 at night. I had an alarm set to go and sleep.

I sniffled. Well, that was something, at least.

I had missed a call from Edward. At 4:30pm—which was only five hours ago. I hadn't been gone long, then. A wave of relief spread over me. I clicked on the voicemail and pressed the phone to my ear.

" _Hullo, Love,"_ —Edward's voice always soothed me— _"I'm going out to hunt with Jasper. We'll be gone for less than an hour. Please don't worry… I'll be back,"—_ I smiled—" _I promise. I'm sure Alice can keep you entertained while I'm gone. I love you so very, very, much._ "—I swallowed— _"I'll be back before you know it."_

The message ended. I swallowed again and took a shaky breath. I sniffled. _"I'll be back, I promise,"_ repeated over and over inside my head. I remembered what I had heard the voices whisper. I remembered the conversation Alice had with Jasper. I remembered the conversation Edward had had with Carlisle. I remembered when he was hopeful I would live, and when he despaired that I would die.

I sniffled and started to cry again, harder this time. I cried for Edward. _I hope he's okay,_ I thought. I cried for Renesmee. Did she think I was dead? Did everyone think I was dead? I wanted to be with her—to hold her. I was so confused and tired and scared.

I cried until I couldn't anymore and sat in silence, listening to the forest around me. "This sucks." I mumbled. Almost as if in agreement, my phone buzzed with a new message.

 _(Unknown_9:22pm) Hi._

I sat staring at my phone, confused. I had no service. How was I receiving messages?

 _(Unknown_9:23pm) You're confused. That's okay._

I opened my phone and checked the number—it was unlisted.

 _(Unknown_9:23pm) You don't know me, but I'm here to help you. I promise._

Help me? I mouthed. I was utterly confused.

 _(Unknown_9:23pm) I'm really glad you're here._

I typed my message with shaking fingers.

 _(Bella_9:24) Who are you?_

 _(Unknown_9:25pm) I'm not important._

 _(Bella_9:25) Where am I? How do you know me?_

 _(Unknown_9:25pm) I don't know you, yet. I've been waiting a long time for you to get here._

I swallowed. This was _weird_. Who was this guy?

 _(Bella_9:26) Now?_

 _(Unknown_9:25pm) It's important. I promise._

My phone started to buzz. This guy wasn't waiting for a response. I clutched my phone tightly, unsure of what to do. When it stopped ringing, the quiet of the forrest seemed… louder. More ominous. My phone started buzzing again. With each vibration, my apprehension grew.

Should I answer it? Who was this person? What did they want with me? Again, my phone fell silent.

Almost five minutes later, it rang again. I bit my lip. It was so quiet in the woods that every sound seemed to echo in the air, suspended for the briefest instance, before vanishing. Marshaling up my courage, I took a deep breath and picked up the call.

"Hello?"

It was silent for so long that I thought there might never be an answer.

"Bella?" The voice on the other end of the line didn't sound much older than I was. It was quiet, modulated, and female.

"That's me." I said, feeling oddly vulnerable in the middle of that quiet, empty forrest.

Another silence.

"I'm glad you're here." She sounded very genuine.

"Thank you," I replied feeling… awkward. "Could you, uhm, tell me who you are?"

She sighed apologetically. "I really wish I could."

"…you can't?" I stumbled over the words.

"Things would get… complicated if you knew and I don't have much time."

"That's… not very helpful."

"I'm really sorry," She said. "But things are about to get really… _really_ … difficult for you. And there's information I need to—" A loud bang sounded on the other end of the line. "—give you. Shit." She swore.

"What's—" I began to ask.

She cut across me impatiently. "No time for that now. You _have_ to listen to me right now, do you understand? If you don't you're dead." Another bang—a gunshot. "Fuck." I heard a muffled voice on the other end of the line. " _I need a minute."_ She hissed. " _Please_."

Another bang. "Listen Bella. Right now, I _need_ you to get up and start running. Don't stop—no matter what happens—no matter what you see—you have to keep going—you _have_ to make it through the night."

I heard a snarl

"I don't know who else he has in there. I fucked this up—goddammit—you have to get out of that forrest. Head north—get to Port Angeles. I'll be able to find you there."

"Wait—" This was all happening to fast.

"I'll help you as much as I can but—"

The line went dead. All around me the forrest was quiet again. I bit my lip. Who _was_ that girl? My phone rang again. I picked it up with shaking fingers. "What's happening? Are you alright? Where are you—"

"I'm sorry."

I froze.

"She's not here at the moment." This voice wasn't female. This voice was low, deep, and rich. It was unmistakable. A vampire was on the other end of the line. Snarls sounded loudly in the background. I could hear screaming—and growling. Fear blossomed deep in my stomach and spread outward, crippling me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remove the phone from my ear. "I'd like to welcome you to my little corner of _paradise,_ Bella."

"What do you want?" My voice was barely a whisper.

" _Retribution_." The voice rumbled.

"Retribution? For what?"

The voice laughed. "Oh my dear, sweet, Bella. Haven't we moved beyond that? Haven't we?" His voice became sweet as honey. "I will _never_ forget, dear, sweet, girl."

"Forget what? Please. I didn't do anything to you." I whimpered.

"Didn't you?" There was anger now in his voice. "Lets see if I can… _jog_ your memory a bit."

He laughed, and the world around me exploded into chaos.

* * *

 _Ending Note:_

Bella is, like, _all over the place_ in this chapter. She's just feeling a little bit overwhelmed right now. I'd probably be too, come to think of it. Poor girl.

Let me know what you think of this story. It's pretty _out there_.

Cheers!


	2. Run, Fox, Fun

_**Falling Meteors**_  
 _ **Chapter 1: Run, Fox, Run**_

* * *

 _Beginning Notes:_

Right, well, here's the first 'official' (whatever that means) chapter of the story. In case you were wondering, this chapter is also, you know, _a lot_.

*A warning: This is one of the more unpleasant chapters in the story. If you're the kind of person who is unduly effected by physical violence—in this case, against Bella—I'd recommend skipping her sections of the chapter. The chapter has a dual POV-switch (between Bella and Mike) for this very reason.

**Note for your edification: The title of this chapter is from a poem by Iris Tennent aptly (in the cast of this chapter) titled, 'Survival'.

* * *

 _ **—Bella Swan—  
**_ _ **11:20pm**_

How long had I been running? My breathing was ragged—each breath ached. My muscles screamed for relief but I couldn't afford to stop running. I _had_ to keep going. They were going to catch me—kill me. I could hear raucous laughter behind me. They were jeering at me—mocking me. My heart beat furiously—battering in my chest and echoing in my ears. Bark exploded as a bullet hit the tree next to me. The sound ripped through the quiet stillness of the forrest, making my head ache and ears ring. I stumbled, falling hard.

A choked sob escaped me as I scrambled to my feet. There was dirt in my mouth—my lips was bleeding—my hip ached. All the while I could hear the cat-calls behind me. I couldn't continue like this. The baggy dress I was wearing slowing me down. It was too hard to move. I could barely see _anything_. The forrest felt like it was closing in around me. My dress snagged against a long-hanging branch and a thin ripping sound filled the hair.

I was stuck.

"Fuck—fuck— _fuck_!" I growled as I struggled. The voices were growing closer. Desperate tears flooded down my cheeks as I tugged and rugged at the useless piece of fabric, trying to free myself. The voices grew closer still. I didn't stop to think—didn't have time. I removed my jacket and frantically unzipped the back of the dress.

The chilly crispness of the night stung my skin as I took off running, leaving the dress behind. My fingers trembled as I pulled the jacket back around me. Laughter echoed from behind me. Another shot lanced through the night. My ears rang. I stumbled, but righted myself—I _wouldn't_ fall—not again. I was practically silent in the stillness of that night. There was nothing to impede my progress now. My feet barely made any noise as they thudded softly against the dry, forrest ground.

Quickly, I veered leftward left, traveling west. I spat out blood—my lip was still bleeding. My hip ached. I realized that I was limping. _Fuck!_ Ducking behind a large, greying oak tree, I slid to the floor, unable to stop shaking. My breath came in ragged pants as my chest violently contracted. I couldn't stop hyperventilating. Who were those guys? Why were humans working for vampires? Why did that vampire want to kill me? Where was the girl who had phoned me? Was she okay?

The voices in the distance were growing closer again. I stayed perfectly still, trying with all my might to keep my breathing calm and even. The night was getting colder and colder by the minute and my skin shook with chills. I was wearing nothing but underwear and a sweatshirt. I felt exposed—and naked. I choked back a sob. How did these guys know where I had turned? I had been so _quiet_. Another gunshot echoed through the forrest and I pushed down the strongest desire to scream. The voices were close enough now that I could make out what they were saying.

" _Come out, come out, Bella."_

" _Don't be such a drag."_

I swallowed. Those were unmistakably human voices.

" _We wanna return that dress to you."_

" _You must be getting cold out here."_

I readied myself to run again. My heart was pounding in my chest. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I could hear each of their footsteps as they impacted against the ground. It was so quiet that I could hear them breathing. How I wished Edward were here. Slowly, I tensed every muscle in my body. _'5… 4… 3… 2… 1—'_

I screamed as someone pulled my hair and dragged me forward. A large fist connected with my stomach and all the air expelled from my lungs. I wheezed, trying to inhale. My head slammed against a tree trunk and the world spun around me. I landed on the hard, cold ground and curled into a ball, trying to protect myself. "I got you. I got you, you little cunt." A foot slammed into me and I spat out blood. "Thought you could get away from us, eh?" I couldn't have talked even if I wanted to. " _Did ya?_ " He dragged me up roughly.

In the dim moonlight I could barely make out his features—but I could still _smell_ him. His breath stank of rotten eggs and alcohol. He gripped my arms with bruising force and shook me. Hard. I lay there limply. I didn't have the strength to fight him.

"You got 'er, Brian?" That was a new voice. I could hear footsteps coming towards us.

"She was hiding behind a tree." The man holding me guffawed stupidly.

I knew I should fight—should struggle—and try and free myself, but my body wasn't responding. I squinted and trying to squirm away from a bright line shone in my eyes—one of them had a flashlight. "Ain't you a pretty thing." The man—Brian—cooed. I shuddered. I could feel his eyes raking me up and down—assessing me. It felt… _disgusting. "_ Where's Grant?"

"I dunno, we split up."

" _Idiot_." Brian grunted. He turned to look at me and in the illumination of the flashlight I could make out his pudgy, sunken features. He had deep-set, bloodshot eyes, and a mouth which was probably missing a few teeth. He smiled at me—and it wasn't a nice smile. His teeth were rotting and yellow. "We'll just have to wait for him then, won't we? Could take hours…"

I spat in his face defiantly.

Blinding pain exploded across my field of vision as he punched me clean across the face. I slammed against the ground. My fingers fruitlessly tried to stop my nose from bleeding. His foot slammed into my stomach and I gasped for air again. Brian took a step closer and put his soil-covered boot on my head, pushing me into the cold, dirt ground. I struggled, but it was in vein—he was too strong. I was helpless. Tears streamed from my eyes as the world around me turned cold and dark.

It was with great relief that I finally passed out, unconscious.

* * *

 _ **—Mike Newton—  
**_ _ **1:47am**_

"Dad, what time is it?"

I looked down and checked my watch. "Almost two o'cock," I answered. "Go back to sleep, Jamie."

Once again, the night was quiet. I stood noiselessly and walked to the edge of the small clearing where we'd made camp. The fire we'd set up had long since gone out. Jamie was curled around it, soaking in warmth from it's dying embers. Ben and Angela were huddled together some ways away, just like they always were. All three of them were asleep.

 _Sleep_. Without it, the past five years had felt like an age—an eon. I could only imagine what the rest of eternity would feel like. The thought didn't excite me. But then again, nothing really did anymore.

Five years. That's how long we'd been in this forrest. We hadn't left it's boarders once. Every day we'd wake up, hike until we couldn't walk anymore, set up camp, and sleep, only to repeat the cycle when the morning began anew. Over and over. I was confident we had traveled the entire distance of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, at this point. It was the monotony that got to me; the long days and the endless nights. Still, I reasoned, at least it was safe. Jamie could grow up away from the chaos of what the world had become. I was glad of that. He had seen too much already and I didn't want to increase the burden on his shoulders.

I cast a glance over at the sleeping couple. It really was a wonder they slept so soundly. Maybe being close to someone you love kept the demons at bay. I scratched the back of my head—a habit from when I was human. For them, I hoped it was true.

Placing my hand on one of the old, gnarled tree trunks, I gazed out into the murky blackness of the silent forrest around me. I could see for miles. The darkness was no more an optic obstacle for me than a clear pane of translucent glass. Very little lived here anymore. Almost everything had been killed.

But not every, apparently.

Yes. Tonight, something very uncharacteristic had happened. There had been unmistakable sounds of life in the forrest. And not just animal life. _Human_ life. Four of them—and whatever they were doing couldn't have been good. I had heard the gunshots—we all had. My companions were woken by the sound and the next hour they had sat in silence, listening intently to the silent night around them for any sign of danger. Eventually they went back to sleep. I tapped my fingers against the decaying tree bark, fighting back guilt.

Unlike them, I heard everything. I heard the laughing—the jeering. I heard the girl's dress rip. I heard her tears and I heard them capture her. And I did _nothing._

I stood perfectly still for a moment, torn by indecision. I should help her. I knew I could find her if I wanted to. I looked back at the camp—back at Jamie. I didn't want to leave them. But there was something bad happening to someone and I had a chance to stop it.

"Mike?"

I turned. "I'm, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I said quietly.

Angela smiled and quietly disentangled herself from Ben's loose arms. "You shouldn't be the only one who has to stay awake," She said with a soft smile.

That was Angela. She hadn't changed much since I had first met her. Still kind. Still caring. Still selfless. In high school… I had been none of those things. I had grown up, and she stayed the same.

"What's up, usually you're still as a statue at night." She nudged me playfully with her elbow.

I grinned. "Ben was snoring so loud—"

"Oh shut up, he does _not_ , snore."

" _You're_ usually asleep. _I_ have to listen to it all night long."

Angela huffed. "You weren't exactly sleeping beauty either, ya know."

"Me?" I raised my eyes. "When _I_ slept, I was _dainty_."

"Dainty?" She raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yes. _Dainty_. In fact, people told me I looked like an angel—"

"Your mother _doesn't_ count."

"My mother never said anything of the sort." I sniffed. "Jessica—"

"Jessica snored _louder_ than you did," She giggled. "It's a wonder she didn't wake _you_ up."

"Well I'm sorry we can't _all_ have the pristine sleeping habits of your precious prince." I said haughtily.

She nodded in agreement. "It's hard being perfect."

" _Thirty-five and balding._ " I whispered loudly, playfully. " _Just sayin'. If you ever wanted to trade for someone who_ has _all his hair, I'm available._ "

"No thanks," Angela said slyly. "I like being able to bring my boyfriend out in public without people thinking he's a reject from teen twink."

There was a laugh behind us. " _Ouch…_ "

We both turned.

Ben was sitting upright, smirking. " _Teen twink_." He mouthed at me. I gave him a disgruntled look and his smile only grew wider.

"So what's up?" Ben asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, coming over to join us.

I shook my head slightly. "Not here. Come this way." I led them a few feet inside the line of trees which surrounded us—away from Jamie and the dying embers of the fire. They followed me wordlessly.

"Do you remember that gunshot we heard earlier?" I asked eventually.

"Kind of hard to forget." Angela said quietly. Ben wrapped his arms around her and she leaned back against him.

"Well," I paused, unsure how to explain, "I heard more than you guys."

"And?"

"It was three humans who were chasing a fourth one—a girl. It was… violent. I heard her—her dress rip and stuff and then she was carried off." I didn't want to look at them.

"You have to help her, Newt." Angela said.

"I know," I nodded. "It's just that—I don't know them—or their situation."

"She was in trouble." Angela pointed out.

"Well—yeah." I agreed. "But I don't know anything else about it. I know I _should_ help—logically speaking—but I'm—well—I'm worried I could be walking into a trap. It's not unheard of, ya know?"

"They're human, though." Ben pointed out. "They can't really hurt you."

"But what if they're _with_ someone?"

Ben shrugged. "If something supernatural wanted us, don't you think they'd just come and get it directly?"

I nodded. "Fair enough, I suppose."

It was silent for a while.

"What does your heart say?" Angela asked eventually. I snorted. Angela _always_ said stuff like that. "Seriously, though." She continued. "It's a valid question."

"I know, I know." I paused, thinking. "Obviously I should go and _at least_ see what's going on."

"Obviously." Ben agreed.

"I just have a bad feeling about this." I told them. "I don't know why—it's probably stupid. Yeah, I'll go snoop around, I guess. Got nothing to lose."

I looked Angela. "Will you stay up and watch Jamie?"

She smiled nodded. "Not sure I could sleep over Ben's snoring, anyway."

I laughed. "Well—yeah—see you soon, I guess."

And with that, I took off running.

* * *

 _ **—Bella Swan—  
**_ _ **2:00am**_

Pain flooded through me as my body hit the ground. I whimpered and curled into a ball, waiting for the next wave of violence. What was happening? Where was I? I tried to move and instantly regretted it. A sharp ache lanced up my side. I choked back a sob—one of my ribs was definitely broken.

"This is the place?"

"According to what he sent me, yeah."

I forced my eyes to open. It was still dark. The stars shone brilliantly above me. I felt the cold roughness of stone underneath my fingertips. Had we left the forrest? A cool breeze whipped by and I shivered… it was much colder now.

"When is he coming?"

That was Brian's voice. My entire body tensed involuntarily. Trying to move as little as possible, I tiled my head towards the sound of those voices.

"Before morning, is what he said."

"That could be ages…"

"Well, what do you want _me_ to do about it? Fuck, Grant, I ain't thrilled about this bullshit either."

Who were they waiting for? What did they want with me? A thousand questions buzzed through my mind. I tried to move again only to be met with the same sharp pain. I wanted to cry with frustration. Never before had I felt so helpless.

"Chill the fuck out, Brian." The man—Grant—said defensively. "I'm not the kind of guy you want to snap at."

Brian laughed—and it wasn't a pleasant sound. It made all the hair on my body stand on end. "Big talk for a drug addict."

"Look who's talking."

" _Shut up_ , _both of you_." That was a third voice—a new one. "I'm trying to get this ready."

"Why does she get to have it?" Grant's voice sounded uglier than usual. "I _need_ it."

"Tough shit." The third voice said.

"Fuck off, Matt." Grant snarled.

I groaned and tried to roll over, away from them, away from their voices. Vertigo hit me, and the world spun dangerously. This wasn't a rock… it was a cliff. Below me, the forrest splayed out in it's gran entirety—seeming too small and too far away. From this height, the trees all seemed to blend together… an endless of blanket of grey and brown which coated the ground below me. I screamed.

My side flared in pain, choking the sound out of my protest. I couldn't breathe—my ribs were on fire. For the briefest second I considered letting myself roll off the edge behind me but before I could complete the thoughts, two pairs of strong hands grabbed me, yanking me back.

" _Are you out of your fucking mind?_ " Brian hissed in my ear. _"Shut the fuck up!_ "

"I'm sorry!" I gasped. Frantic words rushed from my mouth. "I won't—won't—do it again. Please—don't—" I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact…

But it never came. I slowly opened my eyes. Brian looked _disgusted_. "Honestly I don't know why you're so important to him." His tone cut like a knife. "You really not that special, you know. Mundane. Ordinary." He kicked me onto my back. "I wonder why he's so interested in you…"

He was standing directly in front of me now and I looked up the entire length of his body to see him peering down at me. "What makes you special…?" His eyes raked me up and down.

 _Please let this end_.

"Brian. _Enough_." That was Matt. "I have to give this to her now."

"Give what—?" My words slurred. The world was blurring around the edges. What were they going to give me? But it was too late, Brian was moving away from me and Matt was taking his place. He knelt by and I heard him place something metal on the ground next to me.

"Matt, I _need_ it." That was Grant again. He sounded desperate. " _Please_."

I heard him open the metal case. He pulled something out and put it on the ground next to me. I started to struggle. I didn't want whatever he was going to give. "Please don't." I whispered. Was it poison? Was this how I was going to die?

"Please." Small tears leaked out the corners of my eyes. I felt him push the sleeve of my hoodie up past my elbow. I struggled, but he easily overpowered me.

"It'll help." His voice was gruff. "I promise." There was nothing I could do. I was helpless. I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable. But once again, I was spared.

I heard Grant make a strangled cry and he dove at Matt, knocking him off balance. They staggered above me, and I felt fear for the briefest second that they were going to fall on me. In a flash, Matt had his arm wrapped around Grant's throat. He choked, eyes bulging. He was dragged back… out of my line of sight. I turned my head, trying to see what was happening. I could he grunting—cursing—yelling. Brian was shouting expletive at both of them at the top of his lungs.

 _Now's my chance!_ I thought. This was the moment. The moment I could escape. I tried to move but a flaring pain stabbed at my side. I tried again. And again. And again. Every time, the pain increased. Gritting my teeth, I fought through it, using every ounce of willpower I possessed to getting upright. My brow was furrowed, teeth bared in an angry snarl. This needed to happen. I couldn't die here. I wouldn't. I _had_ find Edward and the thought of him infused my body with new energy and I struggled harder.

Chaos raged around me. The three men fought, and I struggled to escape. My heartbeat thundered in my ears and adrenaline raced through my veins. I only needed a little bit more time I could get away. Just a little bit more—

A gunshot ripped through the night air and I froze. The silence that followed was deafening. It seemed to stretch on forever.

"Stupid fucker." Brian said roughly. "Serves him right."

I slumped down, exhausted. My opportunity had passed and I had failed.

They hurried over to me then. Matt knelt down and gripped my elbow with bruising strength. I winced and looked up at him involuntarily. He was younger than the other two—maybe in his early twenties. Brown, matted hair hung in dirty locks around his face which was lined with a thin layer of stubble. His blue eyes were intent on me as he worked.

And the worst part was that I didn't have the strength to fight him anymore. My body screamed at me in pain and I wanted nothing more than to give up.

Something snapped around my arm. This was actually going to happen. My heart rate started to pick up speed. I felt him tapping my arm—searching for a vein. This wouldn't actually happen. It couldn't happen. At that moment, Brian knelt by my head and his two hands pushed my shoulders down. I was immobilized. And helpless.

This was going to happen.

I felt more tears run down my cheeks. There was nothing I could do.

I closed my eyes as a needle pierced my skin.

Mist flooded my brain, and I knew no more.

* * *

 _ **2:15am**_

It felt like I was floating.

My tongue felt thick and heavy. The world swam around me in a dizzying blur. The stars overhead seemed amused. They were laughing, winking, spinning, dancing. I closed my eyes against the onslaught and took a slow, deep breath. My mouth was so dry…

I coughed and let out a whimper. My head _ached._ Bile rose in my stomach and I gagged.

What was happening to me?

It felt like I was falling.

I curled into a ball, convulsions wracking through me. The coldness of the ground felt good against my face. I was so hot… and so… so tired…

I heard voices. They sounded muffled. My mind was dimming. Who were they? What did they want? It was too hard to hear them… they were too far away.

It was as if I was at the end of a very long tunnel. I could see everything— _feel_ everything—but from a great cavernous distance. Some unimaginable barrier stood between me and the knowable world outside. Everything was hazy. Nothing was clear. My mind was clouded with thick mist. Moving was difficult. _Breathing_ was difficult. My vision blurred. It felt like the world was moving to a very slow drum beat.

Would this ever end? Did I want it to?

It felt like I was floating.

* * *

 _ **2:27am**_

My phone buzzed.

"Stop that." I said.

It buzzed again.

"I mean it."

It buzzed a third time.

"Stupid phone." I muttered.

Couldn't it see I was trying to sleep?

* * *

 _ **2:45am**_

Consciousness returned me slowly.

I began to feel cold again. The crispness of the night air stung my skin. I shivered. Where was I?

Slowly, I stretched out, wincing as my muscles ached in protest. How long had I been lying there? The night around me was calm and quiet. Eerily quiet. No noise coming from the black forrest behind me. None. Animals didn't walk, leaves didn't crunch, crickets didn't chirp. There were no voices either. I wondered where my captives were.

Screwing up my courage, I rolled over onto my other side, praying they didn't see I was awake. All was still quiet. I opened my eyes to see a fire burning. The two men were huddled around it. Brian lay motionless, sleeping deeply. Matt was still awake—gazing into the fire. Grant's body was nowhere to be found and I was glad of that. I didn't want to see… didn't want to be reminded of what had happened.

A phantom echo of that gunshot rung in my ears and I winced.

I couldn't believe they killed him. Like it was _nothing_.

Everything _ached_. I was so thirsty…

My phone buzzed making me jump. I allowed myself a moment of sheer incredulity. They hadn't taken my phone away? I chanced another glance back over to the fire where the men were sitting. Neither of them were looking at me. Slowly, I rolled back onto my side—away from them—and fished the phone out of my jacket pocket. I had messages.

A rush of hope filled me that it was Edward. Had he contacted me? Was he looking for me? My stomach dropped when I saw who sent them.

 _(Unknown_2:27am) I'm so sorry, Bella._

 _(Unknown_2:27am) Are you okay?_

 _(Unknown_2:28am) It's me, I promise._

I frowned. It was impossible to know if that were true. How did I know it was… the girl on the other end of the line and not the… vampire. Unbidden, his voice flashed through my mind. His promise of retribution made me shiver.

 _(Unknown_2:35am) Please tell me you're okay._

 _(Unknown_2:37am) I need to know you're alive._

And how did I know this girl was trying to help me anyway? I knew _nothing_ about her. She could just as easily be trying to kill me as help me. Indecision tore through me.

 _(Unknown_2:40am) I'm sending someone to get you._

I stared at the message. That didn't sound good.

 _(Unknown_2:45am) I'm not going to let anything happen to you._

Who were all those people? What did they want with me? My mind was still too foggy to make sense of any of it. I slipped my phone back into it's pocket and closed my eyes, nausea creeping up on me. I wanted nothing more than for this to all end so I could be back with Edward where I belonged. Where was he? Why hadn't he come to rescue me?

All the things I didn't know crashed down on me. The waves of doubt at where I was and who was helping. The fear at what the men were going to do to me. Revulsion at what the men had done to me. The fear of what this vampire was going to do to me. Frustrated tears ran down my cheeks. I hadn't even _done_ anything to him. Why was he so hell bent on doing this to me?

I knew I had to escape but I was too weak. Every movement took great effort. My body was exhausted. I hated this feeling of being helpless. _Hated_ it. I hated the fact that I was helpless against anything that wanted to hurt me. I hated that I was so weak.

My eyes felt so heavy…

I tried to fight it. No, I _had_ to stay awake.

But my head ached and my body throbbed and the world spun around me.

It felt like I was falling…

* * *

 _ **—Mike Newton—  
**_ _ **2:55am**_

It had been easier than I thought to track them. In a forrest where nothing grew, the scent of human life was so vivid that it stood out amongst the trees like a blazing trail. There were three of them—less than I had thought. Two males and their female captive. I frowned, looking down at the scene from the uppermost branches of a tall oak tree.

They were situated right at the edge of a precipitous cliff. Below them—far, far, below them—the endless expanse of forrest continued unbroken for miles on end, stretching into the horizon. A small fire burned near the tree-line, warming the two men which sat around it. The girl lay huddled some distance away, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

"He still isn't here yet." The first grumbled.

" _Really_. I hadn't realized." The other snapped back.

They were both human. I was positive—I could hear their hearts beating.

"How is she?"

"Fine. She'll be out of it for the next few days."

I looked at the girl properly for the first time. She was small, with brown hair which was matted with blood and dirt. I couldn't see her face—she was hunched in a tight ball, shivering in the cold night air. She must be freezing, I thought. All she had on was a thin brown hoodie which was drawn tight around her. No pants, no shirt, no shoes. Nothing.

I cast a suspicious glance over at the two men.

That hadn't…

My frown deepened. I couldn't tell—all their scents were too jumbled together for me to make anything out distinctly. The girl let out a soft moan then and I turned back to her just in time to see convulsion racking her thin frame. I grimaced when she vomited all over herself.

"Jesus, how much did you give her, Matt?" One of the men asked in disgust.

"Enough." Was his—Matt's—only reply. "She won't be giving us—or him—any trouble."

They drugged her? That would make sense. The girl was making small sounds of disgust as she scooted away from her previous position. She frantically tried to scrub the foul smelling stuff from her jacket, cursing softly under her breath. Her voice sounded familiar, like a distant memory.

I stared harder. Who was she?

"Just make sure she's still alive, yeah?" The first man said. He had a nasty voice, thick with gravel. " _I_ don't want to die because you accidentally killed the bitch."

The man—Matt—got up and walked over to the girl. She flinched back as he roughly turned her over. Kneeling down, he gripped her chin and peered into her eyes, searching for some sign (I'd assume) that she was still alive. "Hey!" He said sharply. "Look at me!"

She struggled against his grip and he struck her across the face. She whimpered, tears falling from her eyes. " _Look at me!_ " The man hissed. "Stop fighting."

The tree made a harsh snapping sound as my hand tore through a tree branch. Her eyes flicked up the source and our eyes met. I sat there frozen—paralyzed. It was so familiar. Her face. I _knew_ her. I was positive of it. But where? When?

"She's fine." Matt said as he released her. "She's just out of it."

He sat back down and the camp grew quiet again. I was starting to get worried. Her heart rate was very slow. The girl was still looking at me—piercing through me with her soft brown eyes. I thought I saw recognition in them. Recognition and then relief. Total, absolute, relief.

 _Who are you?!_ My mind screamed at her. Of course she couldn't hear.

I watched as her eyes hardened. Her mouth pressed into a thin line and I saw her entire body tense. What was she going to do? Nothing could've prepared me for what she did next.

In once quick motion, she rolled onto her side, placing both hands on the ground in front of her. Then, before I knew what was happening—knew what she was going to do—she pushed herself backward and rolled over the edge of the cliff into the empty nothingness below.

Time seemed to slow and the world around me focused into a single point of driving, undeniable clarity. Everything became perfectly clear. For the briefest second I didn't think about being a vampire. I didn't think about Jamie, about the outside world, about Angela and Ben… about Jessica. I didn't have time to be surprised—didn't have time to calculate. I only had to time to act. Five seconds which would make the difference between her life and death. I was going to save her life. I knew I was.

The men yelled angrily but it was too late for them to save her. I was out of the tree, launching across craggy edge of the rock's cliff. I was falling fast and I knew I only had one shot to make this work. The was still so far blow me. I needed to gain more speed. There was empty air to my left and a cliff to my right. With great effort, I pivoted in mid-air, and slammed my feet against the rocky terrace beside me and then I was running, running faster than I ever had before. Down the cliff. I _had_ to get to the bottom before she did.

Her hair billowed as she fell and her eyes bore up at me. They were trusting. She knew I was going to catch her. And I was, I realized. I was actually going to pull this off. I was already past her falling figure, getting closer to the ground with each passing second.

 _Thirty feet… twenty feet…_

The air whipped through my face.

 _Fifteen feet… ten feet…_

I braced myself for lancing.

 _Five feet… two feet…_

My feet hit the ground so hard they sunk into the dirt of the forrest floor below me. Dust billowed up around my ankles as the girl fell perfectly into my open arms. Relief coursed through me. She was alive and I had saved her. She was shaking with the adrenaline of her fall, her breath coming in uneven gasps.

Her hands tangled in my t-shirt. "I knew you would come Edward." She whispered.

I stopped. _Edward?_

I looked down at the girl in my arms and suddenly, everything clicked into place. But that… that couldn't be. It just— _couldn't_. It was impossible.

"Bella." I whispered through shocked lips.

She gazed up at me. Out eyes connected. She let out a startled gasp. " _Mike?!"_ She asked, eyes frantically searching my face.

"Bella." I said slowly. "How can you be here?"

She shook her head frantically. "I don't—I don't know."

"No…" Nothing made sense anymore. "I mean. How can you be here… when I know for a fact that you've spent the last eighteen years making it your personal mission to hunt down and kill each member of the Cullen Clan."

Her brown crinkled and her eyes filled with tears. "What are you—"

It felt like the world was spinning. "Bella…" I whispered. "How can you be here when you're trying to kill Edward to get your daughter back."

She stared at me, eyes wide with horror.

"Bella?" I asked with mounting confusion. "What year is it?"

She swallowed. "It's 2006, Mike."

"It's the year 2031." She couldn't actually be here. "You were turned on your eighteenth birthday." This was impossible. "So how are you actually human right now?" I whispered.

She fainted.

A loud gunshot lanced off a tree five feet from me and I looked up to see the two men gazing down at us. I looked from Bella back up to them. "What the fuck is happening." I muttered.

Turning around, I sprinted into the dark forrest behind me.

In my arms, was a very human Isabella Swan.

Her heartbeat propelled me forward like a drum march.

I only knew one thing:

A new dawn was on the horizon.

* * *

 _Closing Notes:_

Uhg. That chapter was nasty. Nothing quite so bad is going to happen for a while. I promise. Thanks for bearing through it with me. I hope you're enjoying the fic so far. What do you all think about Mike? My goal is to update every 7-10 days and I'm fairly confident I can keep that schedule up. So... see you sometime next week.

Cheers!


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